1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to outdoor lighting. More particularly, this invention relates to outdoor lighting for landscaping.
2. Description of the Background Art
Outdoor lighting fixtures are well known. In the outdoor lighting and landscaping arts, it is customary to illuminate and delineate pathways, driveways, sidewalks, patios, plant beds, lawns and the like with outdoor lighting. Such lighting is typically used to provide illumination for practical as well as decorative purposes, including highlighting landscaping and various architectural features of various improvements. Presently, there exists a variety of outdoor lighting fixtures of a variety of embodiments employing various power sources (hard-wired, solar-powered, etc.)
Typically, outdoor lighting fixtures comprise a lamp that emits xe2x80x9cwhitexe2x80x9d illumination. Some lamps, such as those employing light-emitting diodes (xe2x80x9cLEDxe2x80x9d), emit light of a specific wavelength to produce a specific color (e.g. xe2x80x9credxe2x80x9d). Still other light fixtures employ colored lenses designed to allow only light of a specific wavelength to shine therethrough to thereby produce illumination of a specific color (e.g. xe2x80x9credxe2x80x9d). Unfortunately, whether due to the illuminated light from the lamp or through the use of colored lenses, the color of the light emitted by the light fixtures remains fixed, and cannot be changed or varied except by replacing the lamp or the lens to one of a different color.
Some attempts have been made to provide a light fixture that provides illumination of different colors. One commonly-known type of a light fixture employs a rotating color wheel that is mounted in front of the lamp of the light fixture such that the white light being emitted therefrom shines through the colored segments of the color wheel as it rotates in front of the light fixture. The use of the rotating light wheel in combination with the light fixture sequentially produces light of different colors as determined by the colored segment of the light wheel that rotates into position in front of the lamp of light fixture. Unfortunately, such light wheels are not adaptable for use in conjunction with landscaping light fixtures due to the configuration of the landscaping fixtures that typically project the light through a cylindrical lens and then downwardly toward the driveway, path, etc. to be illuminated.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an improvement which overcomes the aforementioned inadequacies of the prior art devices and provides an improvement which is a significant contribution to the advancement of the landscaping art.
Another object of this invention is to provide multi-colored landscaping light fixtures that produce light of different colors.
Another object of this invention is to provide landscaping light fixtures that produce different colored illumination.
Another object of this invention is to provide landscaping light fixtures that allow the consumer to easily and quickly change the color of the illuminated light therefrom.
Another object of this invention is to provide landscaping light fixtures that employ a color wheel, strip or shutter that is specially configured to be operatively positioned within conventional-styled landscaping light fixtures that project light through the lens thereof to be reflected downwardly for illumination of the surrounding landscaping.
The foregoing has outlined some of the pertinent objects of the invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the intended invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention a different manner or modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment in addition of the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
For the purpose of summarizing this invention, this invention comprises a landscaping light fixture that produces light of many different colors as selected easily and quickly by a consumer. More particularly, the landscaping light fixture of the invention comprises a housing containing a lamp such as an incandescent lamp or LED, that produces light when powered. The housing further includes a lens that refracts the light from the lamp to shine in the desired direction. A multi-colored wheel, strip or shutter is juxtapositioned between the lamp and the lens such that the light emitted from the lamp shines through the color wheel, strip or shutter and then through the lens. The color wheel, strip or shutter functions to filter the light from the lamp to allow light of a particular wavelength to shine therethrough thereby producing color light of the desired wavelength.
The color wheel, strip or shutter of the invention includes a translucent material of different segmented colors or of a graduated color.
The color wheel, strip or shutter of the invention is operatively positioned within the housing of the landscaping light fixture to be movable to align the colored segment or graduation of the wheel, strip or shutter into alignment with the lamp such that the light emitted from the lamp shines through the color wheel, strip or shutter prior to shining through the lens assembly.
Once the landscaping light fixtures of the invention are installed as desired along the driveway, pathway, etc., they can all be set to illuminate the color xe2x80x9cwhitexe2x80x9d in a conventional manner. For added landscaping effects, one or more of the landscaping light fixtures could be set to illuminate a specific color by the consumer by simply moving the color wheel, strip or shutter such that the desired portion thereof of the particular color is moved into alignment with the lamp of the light fixture.
Using the invention, the landscaping possibilities are endless. For example, walkways leading to the residence""s front door can be illuminated with white light whereas walkways to the garage could be illuminated with the color yellow. Walkways along a seawall could be illuminated with a red color for increased safety. The borders of flower beds could be illuminated with a blue color to accent the colors of the flowers themselves. During holidays, some or all of the light fixtures could be set to illuminate colors representative of the particular holiday season. For example, red could be used predominately for Christmas, orange for Halloween and pink for Easter. Patterns could be designed such as the colors red, white and blue for patriotic holidays such as Memorial Day.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the more pertinent and important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood so that the present contribution to the art can be more fully appreciated. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and the specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.